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Hearing The Shape Of A Drum
In theoretical mathematics, the conceptual problem of "hearing the shape of a drum" refers to the prospect of inferring information about the shape of a hypothetical idealized drumhead from the sound it makes when struck, i.e. from analysis of overtones. "Can One Hear the Shape of a Drum?" is the title of a 1966 article by Mark Kac in the ''American Mathematical Monthly'' which made the question famous, though this particular phrasing originates with Lipman Bers. Similar questions can be traced back all the way to physicist Arthur Schuster in 1882. For his paper, Kac was given the Lester R. Ford Award in 1967 and the Chauvenet Prize in 1968. The frequencies at which a drumhead can vibrate depend on its shape. The Helmholtz equation calculates the frequencies if the shape is known. These frequencies are the eigenvalues of the Laplacian in the space. A central question is whether the shape can be predicted if the frequencies are known; for example, whether a Reuleaux ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isospectral Drums
In mathematics, two linear operators are called isospectral or cospectral if they have the same spectrum. Roughly speaking, they are supposed to have the same sets of eigenvalues, when those are counted with multiplicity. The theory of isospectral operators is markedly different depending on whether the space is finite or infinite dimensional. In finite-dimensions, one essentially deals with square matrices. In infinite dimensions, the spectrum need not consist solely of isolated eigenvalues. However, the case of a compact operator on a Hilbert space (or Banach space) is still tractable, since the eigenvalues are at most countable with at most a single limit point ''λ'' = 0. The most studied isospectral problem in infinite dimensions is that of the Laplace operator on a domain in R2. Two such domains are called isospectral if their Laplacians are isospectral. The problem of inferring the geometrical properties of a domain from the spectrum of its Laplacian is ofte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plane (mathematics)
In mathematics, a plane is a two-dimensional space or flat surface that extends indefinitely. A plane is the two-dimensional analogue of a point (zero dimensions), a line (one dimension) and three-dimensional space. When working exclusively in two-dimensional Euclidean space, the definite article is used, so ''the'' Euclidean plane refers to the whole space. Several notions of a plane may be defined. The Euclidean plane follows Euclidean geometry Euclidean geometry is a mathematical system attributed to ancient Greek mathematics, Greek mathematician Euclid, which he described in his textbook on geometry, ''Euclid's Elements, Elements''. Euclid's approach consists in assuming a small set ..., and in particular the parallel postulate. A projective plane may be constructed by adding "points at infinity" where two otherwise parallel lines would intersect, so that every pair of lines intersects in exactly one point. The elliptic plane may be further defined by adding a metr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spectral Geometry
Spectral geometry is a field in mathematics which concerns relationships between geometric structures of manifolds and spectra of canonically defined differential operators. The case of the Laplace–Beltrami operator on a closed Riemannian manifold has been most intensively studied, although other Laplace operators in differential geometry have also been examined. The field concerns itself with two kinds of questions: direct problems and inverse problems. Inverse problems seek to identify features of the geometry from information about the eigenvalues of the Laplacian. One of the earliest results of this kind was due to Hermann Weyl who used David Hilbert's theory of integral equation in 1911 to show that the volume of a bounded domain in Euclidean space can be determined from the asymptotic behavior of the eigenvalues for the Dirichlet boundary value problem of the Laplace operator. This question is usually expressed as " Can one hear the shape of a drum?", the popular phras ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neumann Boundary Condition
In mathematics, the Neumann (or second-type) boundary condition is a type of boundary condition, named after Carl Neumann. When imposed on an ordinary or a partial differential equation, the condition specifies the values of the derivative applied at the boundary of the domain. It is possible to describe the problem using other boundary conditions: a Dirichlet boundary condition specifies the values of the solution itself (as opposed to its derivative) on the boundary, whereas the Cauchy boundary condition, mixed boundary condition and Robin boundary condition are all different types of combinations of the Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. Examples ODE For an ordinary differential equation, for instance, :y'' + y = 0, the Neumann boundary conditions on the interval take the form :y'(a)= \alpha, \quad y'(b) = \beta, where and are given numbers. PDE For a partial differential equation, for instance, :\nabla^2 y + y = 0, where denotes the Laplace operat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dirac Operator
In mathematics and in quantum mechanics, a Dirac operator is a first-order differential operator that is a formal square root, or half-iterate, of a second-order differential operator such as a Laplacian. It was introduced in 1847 by William Hamilton and in 1928 by Paul Dirac. The question which concerned Dirac was to factorise formally the Laplace operator of the Minkowski space, to get an equation for the wave function which would be compatible with special relativity. Formal definition In general, let ''D'' be a first-order differential operator acting on a vector bundle ''V'' over a Riemannian manifold ''M''. If : D^2=\Delta, \, where ∆ is the (positive, or geometric) Laplacian of ''V'', then ''D'' is called a Dirac operator. Note that there are two different conventions as to how the Laplace operator is defined: the "analytic" Laplacian, which could be characterized in \R^n as \Delta=\nabla^2=\sum_^n\Big(\frac\Big)^2 (which is negative-definite, in the sense that \ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cauchy–Riemann Equations
In the field of complex analysis in mathematics, the Cauchy–Riemann equations, named after Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Augustin Cauchy and Bernhard Riemann, consist of a system of differential equations, system of two partial differential equations which form a necessary and sufficient condition for a complex function of a complex variable to be complex differentiable. These equations are and where and are real differentiable function#Differentiability in higher dimensions, bivariate differentiable functions. Typically, and are respectively the real part, real and imaginary parts of a complex number, complex-valued function of a single complex variable where and are real variables; and are real differentiable functions of the real variables. Then is complex differentiable at a complex point if and only if the partial derivatives of and satisfy the Cauchy–Riemann equations at that point. A holomorphic function is a complex function that is differentiable at eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elliptic Differential Operator
In the theory of partial differential equations, elliptic operators are differential operators that generalize the Laplace operator. They are defined by the condition that the coefficients of the highest-order derivatives be positive, which implies the key property that the principal symbol is invertible, or equivalently that there are no real Method of characteristics, characteristic directions. Elliptic operators are typical of potential theory, and they appear frequently in electrostatics and continuum mechanics. Elliptic regularity implies that their solutions tend to be smooth functions (if the coefficients in the operator are smooth). Steady-state solutions to Hyperbolic partial differential equation, hyperbolic and Parabolic partial differential equation, parabolic equations generally solve elliptic equations. Definitions Let L be a Differential operator, linear differential operator of order ''m'' on a domain \Omega in R''n'' given by Lu = \sum_ a_\alpha(x)\partial^ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riemannian Manifold
In differential geometry, a Riemannian manifold is a geometric space on which many geometric notions such as distance, angles, length, volume, and curvature are defined. Euclidean space, the N-sphere, n-sphere, hyperbolic space, and smooth surfaces in three-dimensional space, such as ellipsoids and paraboloids, are all examples of Riemannian manifold, manifolds. Riemannian manifolds are named after German mathematician Bernhard Riemann, who first conceptualized them. Formally, a Riemannian metric (or just a metric) on a smooth manifold is a choice of inner product for each tangent space of the manifold. A Riemannian manifold is a smooth manifold together with a Riemannian metric. The techniques of differential and integral calculus are used to pull geometric data out of the Riemannian metric. For example, integration leads to the Riemannian distance function, whereas differentiation is used to define curvature and parallel transport. Any smooth surface in three-dimensional Eucl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wave Equation
The wave equation is a second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves or standing wave fields such as mechanical waves (e.g. water waves, sound waves and seismic waves) or electromagnetic waves (including light waves). It arises in fields like acoustics, electromagnetism, and fluid dynamics. This article focuses on waves in classical physics. Quantum physics uses an operator-based wave equation often as a relativistic wave equation. Introduction The wave equation is a hyperbolic partial differential equation describing waves, including traveling and standing waves; the latter can be considered as linear superpositions of waves traveling in opposite directions. This article mostly focuses on the scalar wave equation describing waves in scalars by scalar functions of a time variable (a variable representing time) and one or more spatial variables (variables representing a position in a space under discussion). At the same time, there a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fourier Series
A Fourier series () is an Series expansion, expansion of a periodic function into a sum of trigonometric functions. The Fourier series is an example of a trigonometric series. By expressing a function as a sum of sines and cosines, many problems involving the function become easier to analyze because trigonometric functions are well understood. For example, Fourier series were first used by Joseph Fourier to find solutions to the heat equation. This application is possible because the derivatives of trigonometric functions fall into simple patterns. Fourier series cannot be used to approximate arbitrary functions, because most functions have infinitely many terms in their Fourier series, and the series do not always Convergent series, converge. Well-behaved functions, for example Smoothness, smooth functions, have Fourier series that converge to the original function. The coefficients of the Fourier series are determined by integrals of the function multiplied by trigonometric func ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isospectral
In mathematics, two linear operators are called isospectral or cospectral if they have the same spectrum. Roughly speaking, they are supposed to have the same sets of eigenvalues, when those are counted with multiplicity. The theory of isospectral operators is markedly different depending on whether the space is finite or infinite dimensional. In finite-dimensions, one essentially deals with square matrices. In infinite dimensions, the spectrum need not consist solely of isolated eigenvalues. However, the case of a compact operator on a Hilbert space (or Banach space) is still tractable, since the eigenvalues are at most countable with at most a single limit point ''λ'' = 0. The most studied isospectral problem in infinite dimensions is that of the Laplace operator on a domain in R2. Two such domains are called isospectral if their Laplacians are isospectral. The problem of inferring the geometrical properties of a domain from the spectrum of its Laplacian is ofte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
